With respect to all posters I think the word " tough" should maybe expounded upon. Does tough mean accessibility in person or through the mail or thru the show/private signing venue. Does it mean the price of their autograph in the retail market or show or private signing market . Does it mean the refusal to sign certain items but will sign other items . Does it mean the player is just a jerk no matter what the situation is. But none of the these guys are impossible( tough) to find in the marketplace however their price in some rare cases may make it tough for the average collector to afford.
For example
Irvin , Schoendienst, and Doerr are not highly valued or tough to find in the market but due to age they are not signing much now .
Seaver and Bench have never been an easy autograph to get.
Koufax's accessibility is difficult at best and a expensive signature as well .
Mays and Aaron have made it difficult on collectors for years .
Pedro Martinez and Randy Johnson were not that easy to get as players and are no easier since their HoF election along with most of the players elected by the BBWAA in the past decade or two .
I remember when Mike Scmidt was next to impossible to get and he still is hard to get but not expensive.
The newer guys are just in some ways following the examples laid down by their HoF peers.
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